THE CASUALTIES, LEFTOVER CRACK, & TRASH TALK (Live)
Sluggo's - Pensacola, FL (June 20, 2009)
Review & crappy photos by Rob"Bubbs"Harris


It's been too damn long since I've been to a good old fashioned all ages punk rock show. It's not that I haven't wanted to or anything ; it's just that I live in a town that has a large appetite for homo indie shit, or hardcore/death/grind metal. I know, ....I know. Every now and again though, we have some good bands come through Pensacola. I just happened to be taking a look at the site for Sluggo's, hoping that there would be something worth checking out any time soon, and lo and behold, it just so happened that The Casualties were coming into town and they were bringing Leftover Crack and Trash Talk with them. Now here was a bill that I could really sink my teeth into. I haven't seen The Casualties since they played at a rinky dink little skate park in Dothan, Alabama to about ten kids, me being one of them. This of course was before they became the biggest punk band on the planet. Not only that, but I have long wanted to see Trash Talk. Leftover Crack was just the icing on the cake. The thing was, the show was on Saturday, and here it was Thursday afternoon. Had I intended on paying to get in, this wouldn't be a concern. But since I have the perks that come along with being a member of the press, I had to figure out who to shmooze into getting me in there, and only a day and a half to do it. It so happens that Trash Talk are represented by my good friends at Solid PR (Thanks Chris !), so I put in a request immediately. Don't get any ideas either. If you ain't me, you ain't got it like that. Anyway, everything was taken care of and all I had to do was wait for Saturday.



When I got to the show with my buddy James Sowikowski, we were amazed to see just how many people had come out to see this show. There were punks, bangers, not really any skins, and of course a bunch of little kids (It was an all ages show)everywhere. We stood in line to get in for about fifteen minutes, only to get to will call and find out that Trash Talk's list wasn't up there. This is a common thing in situations like this, so I texted the PR dude about it. But before he had a chance to get back to me, I had run across the dudes from Trash Talk and explained the situation. They were super cool about it and Sam (Drums- Trash Talk) took us up front to squeeze us in the door. Once we were in, Sam took us back to the little, and I mean little, band area and hooked us up with a couple of cold beers. This was most appreciated after standing in line outside during June in Florida. After that, we watched some local bands, including The I Hate You's and Vomit Gun, whose drummer quit and ran off with the presale money earlier that day. That didn't stop the remaining members of Vomit Gun from pulling shit together and playing what they could with their bassist on drums and no bass. They actually did pretty good, even playing a few covers by Misfits and other bands that had the whole place singing along and having a great time. Did I mention that it was Summer in Florida ? It was unbearably hot! Anyone who has ever been to Sluggo's in Pensacola knows that that place is sweltering in Winter with ten people, much less packed out in the middle of June. Sweat seeped from my pores and burned my eyes within minutes of entering the venue. Before Vomit Gun finished their last set ever, I had to make my way over to the bar area and have a drink.



Whom should I happen to plop down next to at the bar other than Casualties drummer, Meggers. James, Meggers, and I talked about good music and movies for a while as we waited for Trash Talk to set up, enjoying some frosty cold beers all the while. After shamelessly snapping a few photos with old dude, we made our way back into the seventh layer of hell to catch Trash Talk. If you haven't had the chance to catch these dudes, you don't know what you're missing. Not quite punk, not quite metal, but 100% bad ass, Trash Talk blazed through a set of tunes ranging from older stuff like "Lepers to Feed Lepers" , to some new stuff from the "East of Eden" 7-inch . The energy was high as charismatic front man, Lee, debated the differences between California and Florida with the crowd between songs, showing off his lazer new gator's foot, tied to a string around his neck. To quote Patrick Swayze in Point Break , "These guys only live to get radical." Trash Talk ripped so much ass that I couldn't resist jumping in the pit for a while, which only reaffirmed the fact that I am getting older. Even though I felt like my lungs were going to collapse at any moment and I was sure that I had already dropped a pound or two, I was having a fantastic time, and the show was only half over.

Leftover Crack was next up, after a meeting of the minds with Trash Talk out back (cough, cough). James was amped up about seeing LoC, so I opted to hold his belongings while he spent the entirety of their set tits first against the stage with the bodies of a hundred other sweaty kids bouncing off his back. I was just as entertained as the infamous LoC got the crowd whipped into a frenzy with their ultra sick blend of ska and punk rock. Apparently, some people were talking shit about Leftover Crack for doing this tour. Even The Casualties had to post a blog on their MySpace page about it. I guess some people can't handle a band that tells it like it is. Well, you couldn't tell if anybody was offended and talking shit here, because they were more than likely drowned out by the legions of kids singing along to "Rock the 40oz." and "Crack City Rockers" with every breath in their bodies as they pushed themselves ever closer to heat stroke just to see these guys play. I suppose infamy isn't always a bad thing, huh ?



Around 10:45 p.m., The Casualties hit the stage. Not one ass was sitting down or standing still as the New Yorkers annihilated the small venue with a veritable what's what of their extensive regime of tunes. Between the heat and the energy of the fans, I'm surprised we didn't cause some sort of explosion. There is a reason why The Casualties blew up the way they did, because they know their shit. Jorge and the boys didn't miss a beat, as the joint went crazy. As always, they even pulled up a few folks from the crowd to sing along, including a now drunken James, who hollered incoherently into the microphone for a couple of jams. That's what punk rock is all about though, having fun and sticking together. When I got home that night, I sat and reminisced about the old days, growing up and going to shows as a lad, and how I was just as wild and stupid as those poser kids smoking cigarettes outside in the parking lot to look hard. Ah yes, the miracle of misspent youth. It truly is something special. To put it in a nutshell, this was the best time I have had in a long time, or will have in a while I'm sure.

PICTURES:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to TheSaltyPirate.com. We are dedicated to showing you the best bands and comedians that deserve attention. Kill your TV, watch all the uncensored comedy and metal you need right here.


Click below to check us out on Myspace